Sizing up Lightwave’s 2026 trade show coverage
In 2026, we covered four major trade shows showcasing innovations in optical and broadband communications.
You can take a look here at the special coverage pages of our four main events: OFC, FiberConnect, ECOC and TechExpo:
OFC 2026 special report
A compilation of news and trends from the OFC 2026 trade show, which took place March 15 to March 20 in Los Angeles.
As we do every year, Lightwave’s OFC coverage included a mix of our daily videos (Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3), podcast roundups, and, of course, our annual Innovation Reviews.
Capturing the Fiber Connect 2026 show pulse
This compilation includes news and trends from the Fiber Connect 2026 trade show, held May 18-20 in Orlando. See our coverage of the show, listen to our daily podcasts, and watch our video interview series with leaders from American Products, Sumitomo Electric Lightwave, STL, and Sitetracker.
We also featured a piece on Chris Brooks, who was awarded the Connect the Unconnected Award, a collaboration between Lightwave’s sister publication ISE and Corning, for his work expanding fiber broadband to rural and underserved communities.
Charting the ECOC 2026 show
Celebrating its 30th year, the ECOC exhibition attracts over 7,000 decision-makers from around the world, bringing together manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers to network and gain insights into the latest developments, new products, and trends in the industry.
This compilation includes news and trends from the Fiber Connect 2026 trade show in Malaga, Spain, including show news, events, products, and optical networking trends.
One of Lightwave's key attractions was our panel: How to scale networks to support next-gen AI factories. Featuring voices from three key vendors, including Lumentum, Marvell, and Nokia, it will address how emerging optical networking technologies are creating new possibilities for what’s inside the data center. You can listen to the panel rebroadcast on demand.
Capturing the pulse of SCTE TechExpo26
This compilation covers news and trends from SCTE's TechExpo26 trade show, held September 28 to October 1 in Atlanta, GA.
This year's key themes included convergence, AI’s role, and fiber. The show also addressed cross-industry collaboration among cable operators, wireless operators, and telcos on network resilience and security.
Like ECOC, Lightwave held another key event during the show. Featuring perspectives from Render Networks, Tektronix and Astound Broadband, the From Strand to Server: Building the Fiber Infrastructure for Converged, AI-Ready Networks - TechExpo 26 panel, held during SCTE’s TechExpo26 in Atlanta, GA, examined what it takes to build a physical network capable of supporting that convergence—from strand-mounted and outside-plant infrastructure to fiber connectivity, testing, certification, and the pathways feeding edge and data center environments.
About the Author
Sean BuckleySean Buckley
Sean is the Editor-in-Chief of Lightwave. He establishes and executes Lightwave's editorial strategy across its website, email newsletters, events, and other information products. Before coming to Lightwave in July 2023, he served as editor of Broadband Communities. Earlier, he served as senior editor of FierceTelecom and the editor of the former Telecommunications Magazine. He got his start in the optical industry in 1998 when he became the editor of enterprise and optical networks at Information Gatekeepers. He has a BA in English from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and lives in Dracut, Mass, with his wife, two sons, and his cat, Dove.
